Aug. Lunch & Learn: Hiring & Retaining Top Technicians in a Competitive Market

Lunch & Learn Topic:

A practical session where you'll learn how to attract top-tier technicians and keep them on your team, led by Dennis the Apprentice. Thank you to our sponsor The Flood Guys!

Key Takeaways

• Prioritize recruiting as a critical marketing function with dedicated budget allocation
• Use a "magic wand" questionnaire to understand potential hires' ideal job preferences
• Leverage organizational charts to show career progression opportunities
• Offer unique benefits like tool insurance to stand out from competitors

Lunch & Learn Topic Details

Recruiting as Marketing

  - Allocate 15% of marketing budget to recruiting efforts
  - Run continuous recruitment ads, as you never know when a potential hire is ready to move
  - Prioritize responding to applicants as if it's a $500,000 sale (minimum annual revenue per tech)

Interview Strategies

  - Use a "magic wand" questionnaire to understand applicant's ideal job preferences
  - Ask about preferred call volume, pay structure, work hours, and specialties
  - Tailor your pitch based on their responses to appeal to their specific wants/needs
  - Always have a female colleague present during interviews for intuitive insights
  - Consider taking final candidates to dinner with their spouse to observe real-world behavior

Organizational Structure

  - Maintain and regularly update an organizational chart
  - Use the chart during interviews to show potential career progression
  - Display charts throughout the office to reinforce belonging and growth opportunities

Unique Benefits

  - Offer tool insurance ($25/month for $50,000 coverage) to protect technicians' investments
  - Consider benefits like ticket insurance, life insurance, and guaranteed no calls on days off
  - Highlight commercial work opportunities if available

Culture and Drama Prevention

  - Foster an "all for one, one for all" mentality between office and field staff
  - Root out drama quickly as it "robs profit"
  - Implement nightly check-ins (like "roses and thorns") to address issues promptly
  - Prioritize good driving records and drug-free employees to minimize potential drama

Onboarding and Goal Setting

  - Establish 3, 6, and 12-month goals with new hires
  - Ask about personal goals and actively work to help employees achieve them
  - Use performance reviews to reassess technicians' preferences and goals